Tax time again in Middleton

Thursday

May 30, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Joann Coskietjc@tjcoskie.com

On this Memorial Day, I hope you took a moment to appreciate the freedom that has been won and defended for us. Be grateful for a country where you have choices, where you can travel freely and speak freely — privileges that are absent in most of the rest of the world. Fly the flag if you have one — get one if you don’t. Want to know just how great this country is? The first Memorial Day (first called Decoration Day) was to remember both Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. To my way of thinking, that characterizes the magnanimous spirit of America.

The Middleton news will now appear every other week in the Times. Additional copy will be submitted if special news warrants extra coverage. If you have news or any announcements for the column, email me at tjc@tjcoskie.com.

Tax bills have been sent out. If you can’t make it by the town office, you can pay property taxes by using the tax kiosk website. The fees for using a credit card are high (2.95 percent), but it only costs $0.95 to have your taxes deducted from your bank account.

A big ‘welcome’ to Sam Morrill who has been selected as the new Fire Chief. Mr. Morrill is a captain with the Wakefield Fire Department and is their EMT-1 Training Officer. He has also designed the Wakefield Fire Department website, an impressive piece of work.

Due to the holiday, the next Selectmen’s meeting is June 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal building.

You still have a few days before the curbside bulk pickup June 4. Check the posted lists for the do’s and don’ts. For tires, electronics and metal, see the posted information on the town recycling day, June 22.

School news

A special meeting of the Middleton School Board is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 30. To be discussed are the AREA Agreement, as well as the Feasibility and Suitability of AREA Withdrawal Study. Public input on these topics is not only encouraged, but vital if residents expect the School Board to implement their wishes. Questions and opinions expressed in social gatherings need to be presented at Board meetings if they are to do any good. Instead of talking to your friends and neighbors, go to a meeting where your opinions make a difference. Inconvenient or not, attending these meetings is important to the future of our students and our town. Other issues which have not been closed are privatizing the school food service program, the disposition of the inoperative bus and the surplus buses (once the new ones arrive), and lastly, the request for a written response from the DOE regarding tuition calculation.

Social news

Have you reserved your table yet for the Yard and Craft Sale on June 22 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m? This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever. The exciting list of events scheduled for the next few months is posted at the Municipal office and Town Hall so you can mark the dates on your calendar.

Whether it is scrapbooking or another craft you’d like to spend a day working on, consider giving Gail Brooks a call at (603) 767-4916. She’s hosting the Crop to Cure event at the Roberge Center on June 8 in Rochester from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sign up for a full or half-day session. Meals and snacks will be provided, and throughout the day there will be prizes, contests and silent auctions. All proceeds raised at this event will be donated to Rochester’s Relay for Life.